Hi Barby,
The easiest thing when out is sparkling water and ask for it with a slice of lemon. I would avoid the low cal drinks as they have ‘alternative’ sweeteners in them that are probably adding to our problems. Soda water would be fine with lemon.
For tea – I found the rooibos tea was a strong enough taste (no milk) to replace normal tea. Also I like lemon and ginger tea – again it had a strong taste. If you don’t like ‘teas’ in general then I need to do a bit more thinking 🙂

Lynne, those results are absolutely gobsmackingly amazing!! I knew you had done really well, but when it’s set out like that with your measurements and weight loss, BMI etc, it’s just fantastic.
Your weight loss is almost the equivalent of my youngest child! Did you ever imagine you were carrying a six year old around all day everyday?
You are a great example of what the BSD and some good old fashioned determination can do to transform your health. Well done you 🙂

Hi All
I’ve just started on the BSD, done it for 5 days now and actually I’ve found that mostly I end up eating between 900-1000 calories a day, mainly because I like a little snack or two throughout the day. Do you think this is OK? Or should I cut back on meal calories so that I can have the snacks?
Thanks
Lola F

Hey Meredex, we seem to be the exception to the rule don’t we!! Well I’m starting Day 16, and still no weight loss, not even an ounce, so I can only attribute it to toning the muscles through my exercising and as muscle weighs more it’s keeping my weight at the same each day unless I’m just a real oddball. My husband says that I am looking better, and I’m developing a proper waistline and I did feel that muscle the other day, so I’m going with that theory. Unfortunately I’m still not in ketosis, but after reading another website explaining ketosis, I’m not sure if being in Ketosis is a good or bad thing. Too much reading me thinks.
Are you exercising at all while doing this diet? If so, maybe you’re like me and toning those muscles and eventually that fat will burn off as well, cause I certainly don’t want to end up muscular…lol

Keep me updated on what you’re doing re exercise, and everything else. BTW my blood sugar reading this morning was 5.5 and no ill effects and was 5.8 last night.

hugs
Karra

Hi all
I started the BSD about 2 weeks ago and have lost 11 lbs (5kg) and feel great. The aches and pains I used to wake with have gone along with the weight. I can’t believe how easy I’m finding it and how amazing I feel. Who knew you could have so much more energy by eating less…!
I’m doing the 800 BSD because my GP told me I was close to being diabetic at 14st 8lbs and 5’5″ with BMI 33.
Husband is also overweight but can’t quite manage to kick the cereal and brown bread but is eating the meals I prepare from the book and not snacking. He’s lost about 7 lbs so is quite pleased with himself!
I’m quite a good and imaginative cook and don’t want to be a diet bore but would like an accurate and easy to use cal/carb counter app.
Any suggestions and recommendations?
Brightspark x

Judith – meant to say – you never spoil threads with comments 😃

Hello again, I have more questions please?

What do you drink when socialising in the pub? I don’t go that often. I used to enjoy a bitter shandy but I know that’s out.

Diet coke not good re sweeteners. I assume to have soda with a dash of lime. Is the only option fizzy water with lemon or lime slice?

Also, I’m trying to find a hot drink I like. I do have black coffee, but not all the time. I don’t like tea.

I am trying hot water with lemon slices.

I was wondering about getting some PLJ pure lemon juice, or even one of the Jif lemons, for when I run out of fresh lemons.

Also I just found a recipe for chick pea fritters which sounds nice, when I get some chickpea flour.

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
Chopped half onion
Chopped inch of ginger
Half tsp cumin
Pinch chilli
Mix ingredients to smooth paste. Leave to stand and then fry as for small pancakes.

Thanks

I have been meaning to put up a post asking for others experience on the ‘wearables’ that you get for monitoring health, and asking others for their pro-cons. I have had a Garmin for 2 years now, worn all the time. it has its good points and bad ones so happy to contribute by thoughts on that.

Cherrianne, is it ok for Bill to pass your email address to me too?

Judith and Bill – please forward my email address to Cherrianne.

Hi everyone, my dilemma is that I am type 2 diabetic, controlled by diet but…. I also have high cholesterol. My enquiry is, would something like the fast 800 diet do my type 2 the world of good but hinder the lowering of my high cholesterol? I am advised to have a high fibre diet to lower my cholesterol (along with 2 types of statin medication), but my concern is that the high fibre will be detrimental to me lowering my sugar count. Any thoughts would be welcomed…
Bob

Judith, just thinking that 16, 15, 14 and 13 must be lonely, I’ve been with them for do long😳 LOL

A hopefully short visit to 12, then on to re-visit 11, 10 and possibly 9.

Once the twins have gone home I’ll look for new clothes again. 😃

Hi Bill, I agree to the costs – what to the user seems like a small change can be enormous if it needs a full design change.
We could ask the admins to set up a new forum – FAQ for anyone new to BSD, and a description making it clear it is applicable to Fast 800, BSD 5:2 and BSD Med Style. I probably needs a note that is from the forms experience not from MM.
Likewise a chat area would be just another ‘forum’.
Anyhow, I see something is moving on it….. looking forward to seeing the outcome.

Sharon meant to add congratulations on joining the veterans club! 🙂

Janet I meant to add we could include things like what to expect in first week or two, the ‘carb/keto flu’ has taken so many of us by surprise -Headaches, lightheadedness etc.
Each subject area can be under a post heading in the thread.
We do tend to answer the same questions an awful lot – with answers like increase your fat intake, drink the 2 -3 litres of water, alternatives to just cold plain water etc etc

We could do with all suggestions for posts sent to just me, lynne, bill or whoever to collate them properly and then ask to have it frozen by the team. Frozen won’t be the technical term but you know what I mean!!! 🙂

Hello,
I am preparing to start the BSD on Monday, so am trying to buy the correct ingredients for my first weeks menus. I’m planning on keeping it simple for the first week, in order that I don’t slip up. My question relates to how much and what kind of veg I can have with my evening meal? Assuming I am eating a protein portion ( eg chicken breast), is it ok to add salad and/or French beans to bulk up the overall quantity of food? I understand that I need to avoid root and starchy veg, but I’m not clear if veg like French beans, Mange Tout, cauliflower, broccoli etc is ok to eat without weighing it out first?

I’m also slightly nervous about any possible effects regarding my blood sugar levels dropping rapidly and continuing use of my Diabetes medications – I’m currently on Victoza, Metformin and Gliclazide. I am due to see my Diabetic Nurse in 5 weeks, but are there any symptoms that I need to watch for that might indicate I need to see her earlier in order to get my meds adjusted? I am hoping to lose 5 stones overall, so I’m in the obese category, but I walk between 6-10 miles at least everyday, so I’m concerned that rapidly dropping blood sugar levels without tweaking my medications could result in an Hypoglycaemic crash? I have told my doctor that I’m going to do the diet, but I didn’t get much of a comment other than ‘ that’s good’.
Can anyone advise please?

eggnishner and emma chiset???? what do I need to know before my trip to OZ???? 🙂

Sharon, fantastic weight loss! I now go over 800 calories regularly but still losing weight slowly so with some good food choices I don’t think your hol should derail you. Have an absolutely wonderful time on your holiday, you deserve it!!! 🙂

Hi Pmshrink,
I use Headspace and have been off and on since November. I find it useful and have been using it to get through a close family bereavement. I had a run of 4-5 weeks continuous daily use, but for no real reason other than bad planning, have not used it for about a week. Will try to get back to it today. Currently working through one of their programmes on ‘focus and concentration’ – I have a butterfly mind, fitting from one thing to another. One a good day it can be classified as multi-tasking – on a bad day just being very non-productive!
I like the fact I can use it from my PC as opposed to being tied to the phone, but I can use it from the phone if I am travelling.

Great cherrianne, would you mind if Bill forwarded your email address to me??? 🙂

You have a lot of medical knowledge and understanding, especially about blood sugar problems and carbs, Bill is our techy guy who also has a very good understanding of what can happen with blood sugars on this diet. 🙂

Hi all

I have completed my first eight weeks, have lost 25lb and I feel so much better. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I know I will get there with this fantastic way of eating. I will be staying on the 800cal for some time yet. We go away for two weeks holiday on Monday, we are going to the Dominican republic I will be making the best choice I can, but will be going over the 800 Cal’s at times.
All the best Sharon

It’s fantastic to find oneself in a lower stones figure isn’t it Lynne? I’m still so excited as you must be! 🙂

Thanks Orchid and NewLife 🙂

Right off to get showered and ready! 🙂

I’m happy to help out Judith, I’ll email Bill so he can forward it and you can let me know what you want.
I think Bill is much better at the tech stuff than the rest of us. I only posted about fit bits because I couldn’t stop laughing that John thought it was a toy boy! Actually still makes me chuckle now 🙂

LOL cherrianne, that’s hilarious!!! 🙂 🙂

Lynne I read your 16 weeks thread. Amazing results. Didn’t want to spoil it with a comment so doing it here. 🙂

hi Janet, I’m thinking of one thread with information for new BSDers which can include all the useful stuff we have learned. I’m hoping that when we complete it newbies can ask questions in other forums so we can leave it as purely informative. 🙂

Barby, absolutely no need to apologise, great minds and all that!!! Only the tech team can make it ‘sticky’ so I hope they will. We have learned so much on this journey and it will be so much easier for newbies to have an information thread written by the BSD old timers 🙂

Bill is the ‘father’ of the forums so I want to see his input on this idea 🙂

Hi Hashimoto – really well done – have a lovely lunch!

Thanks all, Lynne I too am a silver oldie (or would be if I left the dye off)!

Janet, I do the same over here, I get caught up in what you are all talking about and it gets later and later here. I should be asleep instead of disturbing my husband by laughing out loud at some of the banter going on. I’ve never been on a forum before, don’t do Facebook or anything. I just love the support and humour here.

Yep Switzerland there’s no limit to my talents! Don’t have to mentally translate ‘eggnishner’ or ’emma chiset’ anymore lol 🙂

Thanks cherrianne. If apps are involved, I will definitely have to make sure it is compatible with my windows phone ad there aren’t as many apps for that as there are for android/apple. The bit that most interested me was the morning alarm vibration because I just hate the sound of alarms (I’m so lazy!) so maybe I can get something much cheaper that just does that.

Don’t be sorry barby, it just proves its a good idea when it comes from two independent sources!

Thanks for posting that keje, it is a really interesting article. I’ve passed it on to a few others in my family who are diabetic but not convinced by the BSD.

Following on from the discussion on the other thread too, if we put together a short list of two or three threads that we want to be sticky, we can pass them on to the team through the contact us link and I’m sure they would make them sticky for us.

Don’t worry Barby. There are many on here not yet at the 8-week point but who will soon get there. We’re all in this together and support each other as much as we can.

I’m a golden (should that be silver?) oldie in more ways than one and have just completed 16 weeks. If you check out that thread you’ll see my progress.

Judith. I’ll email you later.

Hi tree-peony

I’ve managed to avoid diabetes meds but just prior to starting this they were hinting at Metformin. I politely told them I was trying this😃

Well done on reducing your meds. Hopefully you’ll be able to cut down further or even come off them!

You tend to find that the sweeter the fruit the more carbs (its obvious really!) so berries are best but pears and apples are in the mid range so can be used conservatively (depends on if you are actively counting carbs) but the very sweet fruits like mango and pineapple, although delicious, are a bit of a no-no. As are bananas. Vegetables in general are just a much better way to get the same nutrients and fibre. Avoid the starchy ones like parsnips and other below ground veg like carrots will have slightly more carbs than those grown above ground like leafy greens.

Grapes are really bad I’m afraid, but I guess it depends if you’re diabetic! I can tolerate the odd fresh apricot and fig. Stick to berries and you should be fine. You need to be a bit careful about roasting veg as it caramelises the carbs which them worse for you 🙁

Thirded!

LOL Judith, I was in the health food shop the other day, one of the shop assistants was calling the owner from out the back and muttering to me “where is he?”, the lady next to me started laughing and explained that she’d just read the label on the vanilla halva as Valhalla! So the shop assistant said it must have been made by Vikings, I quipped that the man out the back wasn’t answering because he was mending his horned helmet. The poor man appeared and couldn’t understand why we all started laughing! Wonder if his name was Bluetooth? 🙂

If it helps, I’ve just finished 16 weeks on this, losing 45 pounds and stabilising my blood sugars at normal levels from type 2 diabetic levels

Judith – I’m happy to add to the carb info along with Cherrianne and Penny (and anyone else). Do you imagine a thread just for info on carbs, how many, what kind, etc. Or would it be a more general nutrition thread with info about fat and protein as well. I’m imagining short posts with snippets of info?

Hello veterans. I posted a suggestion this morning for a sticky thread for newbies. I had no idea you were already working on something similar, I had never looked at this thread as you are all so far advanced on the journey compared with me. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have posted.

I’ve only found this thread now because NewLife kindly seconded my suggestion, so I looked to see how long she had been doing this and was interested in her great progress, then found this.

So I wanted to apologise to you all here for”jumping the gun” and look forward to reading your threads when you’ve had a chance to collate everything. Thanks for all the help. Barb.

Hi

There was a book published years ago – ‘Pure white and deadly’ all about sugar.

What’s making me angry at the moment is how supermarkets are selling meat and poultry products that include sugar. Sliced cooked meat, with added sugar. Roast chicken (whole or portions) cooked in a sugar marinade! How any of us, in a hurry, would just grab a cooked chicken portion without checking the label? Even the rotisserie chickens you can buy in supermarkets are cooked in a sugar marinade😱

I contacted one supplier who said sugar was added to improve flavour😳 But food was not cooked in sugar. I sent her photos of labels stating that it was. She said her info was from the nutritionists and she couldn’t comment further😱

When I get a moment I’ll pick this up again.

Thank you, my husband is doing the paleo diet and I’m noticing a lot of similarity between the 2 diets, just hoping I can stick this out 🙂

Hi everyone, Some great weight loss figures on this weigh in thread. Well done. It works! It works! It works!

Eureka, I’m so pleased you said ‘as if’ to the joey burger recipes……..I would never partake of the National Emblem!(lol) It’s nice to hear you feel happy these days…….life certainly throws us some curve balls.

Hi

General guidance for veg is eat those grown above ground but avoid/restrict those grown below ground

Roasted veg are ok.

Fruit: berries are best (strawberries are lowest in carbs). Ones to definitely avoid are tropical fruits. I’m diabetic and most fruits spike my sugar levels so tend not to eat any. Someone else will be along who does eat fruit and can help more.

Thanks Judith x

Yaaaayyyy Alan. Looking forward to reading your progress.

Great results 😃

Well done to you! I’m on a very similar trajectory to yourself, except I started at 120kg thanks to Gliclizide! I’m at 9 weeks now and intending to keep going for as long as it takes 🙂 I’m still taking 80mg of Glic a day and 100mg of Sitagliptin (I got lactic acidocis from Metformin) but my levels at the moment are fab and I’ve come down from 240mg Glic and Lyxumia injectibles, so I’m thrilled too! I’ve low carbed since being diagnosed 4 years ago, but the restricted calorie thing seems to really work!

Another 2 pounds off, making a total of 45 pounds.

Waves goodbye to the 13s and looks forward to seeing the 11s in the not too distant future.